Exclusive Agreement With DEKA

RNS Number:7726U
Bespak PLC
19 April 2002


For Immediate Release:                                  07.00 am, 19 April 2002



          Bespak and DEKA Research & Development Corporation ("DEKA")

           Announce Partnership in Controlled Pulmonary Drug Delivery


Bespak (LSE:BPK),  an innovator of drug delivery technologies, announced today
that is has entered into an exclusive agreement with DEKA, the US based company
known for its expertise in design, development and testing of sophisticated
medical devices.  Working closely together, Bespak and DEKA will look into ways
of developing patient specific, safe, reliable and repeatable drug delivery
technology to deliver a broad range of inhalation therapeutics in cost
effective, patient-friendly packaging configurations.


Under the terms of the agreement DEKA  and Bespak will work together to provide
innovative concepts for precisely controlling, monitoring and delivering
aerosolised drugs, to specific locations in the human respiratory tract.
Present methods of drug delivery to the respiratory tract are heavily patient
influenced and the effectiveness can vary from dose to dose. The technologies
will have applicability for both locally active therapies and systemic drug
delivery via the respiratory tract. Current approaches to systemic delivery
include oral dosing, where much or all of the active material may be lost in the
metabolism before reaching the intended target, or more invasive approaches such
as injections, that are not patient friendly and the time to onset can be up to
30 minutes.



Mark Throdahl, Chief Executive Officer of Bespak, stated:

"This partnership is highly significant to Bespak as we develop in the drug
delivery arena - success of this particular programme would mean the total
re-invention of the pulmonary drug delivery process.  Dean Kamen's agreement to
work with Bespak on this project and to use his considerable expertise in the
medical device area is a great endorsement of our continued progress in drug
delivery.  We look forward to updating the market in due course on our work with
this world-class partner and our joint development of these novel respiratory
aerosol drug delivery systems."



Dean Kamen, Chief Executive Officer, President & Founder of DEKA, added:



"We are excited to be working alongside one of the leading experts in the area
of innovative drug delivery - I look forward to developing a radical new drug
delivery system with Bespak, thereby transforming the current method of
pulmonary drug delivery."



                                    - ENDS -



Bespak will be holding a technology workshop today, which commences at 9.30 am
at Herbert Smith's offices, Primrose Street, EC2.  For further information
please contact Nicola How or Louise Bolton at Buchanan Communications on 020
7466 5000.



For further information please contact:


BESPAK plc
Mark Throdahl - Chief Executive                       Tel: [phone]
Robert Preece - Deputy Chief Executive & Group Finance Director

BUCHANAN COMMUNICATIONS                               Tel: [phone]
Nicola How / Tim Thompson



Notes to Editors:



About Bespak plc:

Bespak plc is in the forefront of developing new delivery systems for the
pharmaceutical industry. The company has a product range covering metered dose
inhalers, dry powder inhalers, actuator and spacer systems, as well as
specialist components and assemblies for the US medical device industry.   The
Group has manufacturing facilities in King's Lynn and Milton Keynes in the UK
and in Cary, North Carolina in the USA.



Quoted on the Full List of the London Stock Exchange, Bespak is valued at
approximately £150 M.



About DEKA:

Founded in 1982 by Dean Kamen, DEKA employs over 200 people dedicated to
creating innovative solutions for advanced technologies.  Dean Kamen is viewed
as one of America's most prestigious inventors; one of the most well known of
his inventions is the HomeChoice, a portable kidney dialysis machine, developed
for Baxter Healthcare.  One of DEKA's most widely anticipated products is the
INDEPENDENCETM IBOTTM Mobility System, developed for Independence Technology (a
division of Johnson & Johnson), the IBOTTM is a sophisticated, self balancing
mobility aid for the physically challenged designed to climb stairs and traverse
uneven terrain.  DEKA is also becoming well known from the recent creation of
the company and product named SegwayTM, focused on personal mobility devices
based on DEKA's self balancing technology.



Systemic Drug Delivery / Inhalation:

Inhalation provides a potentially effective and efficient non-invasive means of
delivering therapeutics agents for the treatment of both local pulmonary and
systemic conditions.  Particles in the form of fine aerosols of liquids or dry
powders may be depositedon to the inner lung surfaces at various distances or
depths into the lung.     The effectiveness of a particular drug varies based on
where it is deposited with respect to the intended target site in the lung.





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